The internet has brought unprecedented amounts of information to the fingertips of potential consumers across the globe. As the quality of search engine algorithms has continued to improve, it has been easier for consumers to receive search results that are closer to their expectations. Accordingly, access to large volumes of information has provided many benefits to consumers who make purchases via the internet, such as providing a more solid foundation upon which consumers may base purchasing decisions.
There has been no greater effect by the internet on preexisting businesses than that on retail sales and their business models. Consumers were once relegated to searching physical stores within the vicinity of their homes. Consumers now have access to retail and virtual stores around the globe, and can compare and contrast products, prices and information regarding all manner of products and services from those retailers. This has given shoppers unparalleled power to shop for the best price and the specific product for which they are looking.
However, there has been a downside to this proliferation of information. There are now so many retail websites, with so much information on each website, that the shopping experience has begun lead to information overload and shopping fatigue. It becomes difficult for consumers to keep track of which website(s) on which they have found a particular item, or which items on a particular website they have been interested. The consumer has become frustrated, and the shopping experience is greatly diminished as a result.
The designers of retail websites understand this frustration and have instituted measures to help consumers in this regard. Most retail websites now allow a user to put things in a “shopping cart” for later purchase, or even permit a consumers to create a list of items in which they are interested, a consumers has to establish the shopping cart or list for each website. This typically includes logging in to each website and entering personal information. This process is inconvenient and time-consuming for the consumers and becomes yet another source of frustration. Additionally, certain items, such as tickets to events such as a concert, play or movie may not be currently available when the consumer happens to be shopping or a consumer may not be ready to buy while at the website and between the time they decide to make the purchase and log back on to the website the item of interest may be sold out.
A method and apparatus for providing items such as tickets to various types of events without the limitations of the prior art is greatly needed.